Declaring G-d's absolute Oneness even while reuniting with a long-lost loved one.
The Jewish people have spent more years in exile than in their own land. Why?
The Torah Portion of VAYIGASH Genesis 44:18–47:27: The ability to acknowledger mistakes is a powerful but rarely found tool of spirituality.
Why does Yosef remind his brothers twice that they sold him to Egypt? And why does he tell them they didn't send him to Egypt, only G-d did?
Vayigash: Are you like old wine in a new bottle?
An extraordinary feature of the Jewish national character is the willingness to make a ‘leap of faith’ - but never give up.
Jacob's fears were justified. One need only look at the last fifty years of American Jewish history to appreciate the dangers of galut!
Yehuda had no moral high ground to retreat to. When he looked into his past, all of his accusations boomeranged back at him.
Parents know that there are things about their children and their progeny that they do not wish to be informed about.Is that the case here?
Major sections of the Torah are basic laws for the whole of mankind.
In Israel we began saying the prayer for rain in the Silent Prayer weeks before it is said in the Diaspora.. What happens if we forget?
If any of our grandparents from the previous generation would visit ours, would they be pleased with what they see?
The first translation of the Torah, into Greek, was in Tevet and is part of the reason for fasting on the 10th of Tevet. What is so bad?
Prophecy is a revelation of God’s love for those of His creatures who are devoted to Him.
Birds of "unclean" species are out but what about the eggs of an allowed species that turns out to be non-kosherr?
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life.
Eight is a central number is Jewish life.It represents the uniquely Jewish concept that man has the ability to transcend his nature.
We must know how to identify it in order to fight against it and eliminate it.
The question “What do you see?” occurs only seven times throughout the Tanakh, and is addressed to only three men, all of them prophets.
Imagine you only have money for one set of candles - Shabbat or Hannukah - which to choose and why?
A visit with Rav Shlomo Aviner, head of the Ateret Yerushalyim Yeshiva in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.
The Maccabees discovered that an uncertain future and having peace of mind were not mutually exclusive..
'Indeed we are guilty concerning our brother, inasmuch as we saw his heartfelt anguish, when he pleaded with us and we paid no heed...'
A true leader reflects on and is a reflection of their people. A monarch considers their subjects at all times.
Why does Yosef accuse his brothers of being spies? Why is the fact that they are brothers an answer to this accusation?
Tonight and for one day, we celebrate Shabbat, Hannukah and Rosh Chodesh Tevet together. Are you ready for all that spiritual light?
Alhough the Gemara states that only 3 men are the fathers of Israel, nonetheless, Yoseph has the leadership aspect of paternity of Israel,
Among the fallacies of human thought is the idea that we not only control events, but have the power to decide when those events take place.
The Iranians don’t need ICBMs to attack Israel. We are camouflage for their real enemies, the West. It is all predicted in Jewish sources.
"The ingathering of the exiles, and Jewish sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael – Medinat Yisrael – are clear steps in the process of Mashiach.".
Sparks hidden from the light of the first day of Creation reveal themselves for those who have eyes to see.
A miniscule point of Hebrew grammar, so esoteric that few people ever notice it or are even aware of it, teaches us a central lesson.
Did Greece really harm Judaism? Weren't there always idolators among the Jews? And what is the connection between Hannukah and Sukkot?
The dreidel is spun by twirling the stem at the top. The gragger is rotated by swinging the stem at the bottom. That is not due to chance.
It's not just a match and a candle. A magnificent light descends into our homes, next to the window or the door, and we need to receive it.
The special rules of Hannukah lights parallel the Maccabean struggle against the Greeks but also how Judaism meets foreign philosophies.
Barricading within their own camp caused some rabbis to forfeit Torah values such as settling the Land, natural sciences, and the IDF.
As we celebrate Chanukah, here are a number of different resources from Rabbi Sacks zt"l about the Festival of Light! Hannukah sameach!
Joint access works in Hebron, but not on the Temple Mount. The reason is clear.
One need not demean others to establish one's own greatness and talents in a family setting. That is a lesson Joseph learned the hard way.
We cannot lose our sense of a common goal. We cannot raise banners of ultimate truth without co-opting all the positive powers around us.
There is a difference between indoor houseplants and those on a balcony; the halakha for those in hi-rise apartments sans a Shabbat elevator
Berachot 55a: “Even if most of a dream comes true, not all of it will come to pass.”
Why does Yosef continue telling his brothers about his dreams, even when he sees how they're responding? And why do they hate him so much?
Yaakov's efforts to retrieve the “pachim ketanim” enabled his descendants to merit the miracle of the “pach shemen”, the basis of Hannukah.
Shechem controls the most crucial junction in northern Israel. Joseph's brothers, Judah Maccabee and the IDF knew and acted accordingly.
Information can be taught, but strength of character and integrity are your own responsibility.
The reality facing the modern orthodox Jew in the United States.
When did he turn into a talented leader with the highest managerial ability? Where is Joseph's turning point?
From Tamar's bravery, the Sages learned that a person should be willing to jump into a furnace of fire rather than shame another in public.
The Talmud tells us that before the appearance of Mashiach Ben David, there is another one, Mashiach Ben Yosef. Why do we need both?
Whilst to the brothers, Yosef’s dreams were like thorns in their eyes, to Reuben they were like sweet honey - and he wanted to save Yosef.
The Maharal explains that when you walk by someone without offering a greeting you make him or her feel invisible and insignificant.
There are people who claim that until the Mashiach comes there is no obligation for a Jew to live in Israel.Look again.
There is a dimension of inwardness, often hidden but waiting to be accessed, in the world.
The difference between the three severe transgressions in the Torah for which one must give one's life and when they apply
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life.
The candles we will soon lighti, like the rainbow, have a glow which is temporary but whose presence lingers long after they are gone.
Had he been an American Jew, how would Yaakov have reacted to hearing that Esau is on his way with 400 men?
